North of the border and looking for a ferry from Scotland to Norway?

A lot of aspiring travellers who are fed up with airport delays or worse and are interested in a holiday in northern Europe are turning to the ferry option to get them hassle free to their destination, happy to know that it’s also an eco-friendly means of travel.

When you look at a map of northern Europe, a ferry from Scotland’s north east coast to Norway’s west coast seems like a logical and easy route. Unfortunately at present there is no direct ferry from Scotland to Norway. Not only that, but the direct ferry that ran from nearby Newcastle to Bergen for 120 years, used by many a Scot, was sadly withdrawn in 2008. Although some sites still advertise ferries from Lerwick to Bergen, these are not available.

So let’s look at options. If you’re really anti-air travel and set on sailing into Oslo, DFDS Seaways (www.dfds.co.uk) operate cruise ferries there from Copenhagen but the train journey to the Danish capital obviously goes via London, then Brussels and Cologne. Go to www.seat61.com where you will find a route and timetables.

The only direct ferry from the UK to Scandinavia is from Harwich to Esbjerg on Denmark’s west coast, but the journey from Scotland to Norway is long and complicated!

One option is to sign up for a cruise to Norway. Fred Olsen (www.fredolsencruises.com) has a cruise available from Scotland. Depart from Rosyth on the 10th of September this year for 4 nights on the Boudicca going to Bergen Norway and the Orkneys, from just £252. Alternatively you can take a 13 night cruise to Norway on the Boudicca from nearby Newcastle departing on the 14th of September with prices starting at £948.